Footsteps
by FinalFantasyHearts-Rinsaito
Summary: Two years have passed since the events of 'Stirring the Storm'. Dax has just returned from Australia, and now, after so many years together, can the group fully admit some of the things they never could before? Even if it means making some sacrifices?


Footsteps

_Two years after the events of 'Stirring The Storm', the children are back together. They have all regained their powers, and more COLAs are appearing. However, the true eleven have always stuck close together, not always being able to let go of their inhibitions after what they were subjected to two years before. How do they feel for one another now? And, can they tell anyone else of their powers? Even if it means love?_

Dax Jones sighed forlornly, watching as Luke and Gideon ran across the grounds towards him. The twins reached him quickly, climbing up into the tree house they had so lovingly built together three years before. It still looked perfect, showing the amount of care they took over it.

Luke and Gideon were alike and unalike at the same time, Luke was smaller and wore glasses, where as Gideon always had some piece of chocolate frequenting his hands, mouth or pockets. They had been triplets, but, they never spoke of their sister. She had been a parasite, and better left forgotten.

"Dax," Gideon panted, grinning up at him, Luke following behind, but uttering no greeting. Luke couldn't speak anymore, because of their 'dear' sister. It pained Dax to spend time with Luke sometimes, but, he was pleased he had survived after all, they had spent such a long time thinking he was dead.

"Hey, mate,"

"What are you doing up here?"

Dax shrugged, "I was just thinking about mum…and the others."

"Right, the freaky-deaky pie in the sky alternate universe dudes?"

The Shapeshifter grinned, nodding, "Yeah, our good old relatives."

"Do you ever find it freaky, that were, half-alien or something?" Gideon asked slowly, pulling out a bar of Cadbury's and setting to work with it. Dax always found it amazing how a boy could eat that much food and still look like a stick, it was simply mind-boggling.

"We've talked about this before, Gid. It's weird, but, I don't think were aliens, but, a parallel universe, or something…maybe the future…I don't know- but not alien, still humanoid. Otherwise, I doubt we'd look like this."

"Like Time Lords…" he sighed, obviously ignoring everything he had just said.

"No, Gid, not like Time Lords, because they would be aliens - not alien, remember that conversation?"

"No, sorry, mate."

"Because we just had it." Gideon shrugged and chuckled, Luke rolled his eyes and the three began to laugh.

"Oi, losers, it's time for lunch."

The three boys peered over the edge of the treehouse and sighed, she was angry with them, they just didn't know why. But, then again - that was quite usual.

"Cool it, Hardman." Gideon called down to her, jumping the ladder and facing an angry teenager.

"Shut up, Reader," Luke winked at her and she smiled, "Not you of course, Luke." He bowed his head slightly and poked his tongue out at Gideon.

"Yeah, yeah, we know she likes you." he sighed, glaring at Lisa.

Dax grinned at her from behind Gideon, she was just as always. It had been ages since he'd seen her. He had only just gotten back from Australia the night before, and although Luke and Gideon were supposed to be asleep, they hadn't been, which had meant as soon as he'd entered their room they shared with Barry they'd been upon him. Asking what it was like, how Owen was, and Tyson. What reason had Spook had for staying a few more days…the list went on and on. However, Dax hadn't seen his other best friend Lisa Hardman for six months, and he had missed her.

She grinned back, her blonde hair now in ringlets since he'd last been at home, and considerably longer. She was wearing a pair of skin tight jeans and a yellow t-shirt declaring '_Boys are fickle too, girls are just honest about it.'_ That was something typical of Lisa, she enjoyed to annoy Gideon, and that was the type of thing that would annoy him beyond reason.

"Lisa,"

"Come here, Dax ," she commanded, he did as he was told, stepping forward so that she could inspect him. He had tanned slightly, and his hair was now more of a reddish brown from begin in the sun so much, sporting sun-induced blonde highlights. Her blue eyes looked him up and down suspiciously and then she smiled, embracing him tightly.

"Nice to see you too." he told her, amused by her affect on Gideon. She kissed his cheek lightly and poked him in the side.

"Gosh, you bean-pole, you've grown."

He chuckled, measuring her height against him, " Not too bad yourself, shrimp."

"5'7", " she told him proudly.

" Six foot, two." Gideon rolled his eyes, he was still taller than Dax, at six foot three, but everyone seemed to forget this because Dax had been so small for so long.

"Can you believe were all so old now?" Lisa asked, shaking her head at it.

Dax shrugged, " We've all been friends for, what…six years now?" they all nodded, thinking back to when they had met at the age of eleven. Or was it twelve? In truth, they had all long since forgotten, they just knew it had been one of the best moves most of them could have made. In truth, he was glad they had been through so much in those first few years - it had taught them to appreciate one another, more so than they would have if they hadn't been forced into both dangerous and hard situations. One this Dax was always thankful for was his friends, because that had gotten them through, and for Owen.

"So, fill me in, Guys...I want to know what's been going on." Dax said excitedly.

Lisa grinned, linking her arm through his and threading her fingers through his affectionately, "Well, let's see..."

They began to walk back towards the large house, smiling and laughing. Luke and Gideon followed behind - the twins torn between affection for their friends...and Gideon's jealous. There surely ad been a lot going on in these past few months, in the past two years really...and still yet more to come. They didn't doubt this. With so many seers, dowsers, telepaths, telekinetics and so on and so forth, you couldn't doubt what would happen. The COLAs always had something going on, the question was, could they put some things to rest now?


End file.
